Washing machine



Aug. 6, 1929. o. E. szEKELY ET A1. 1,723,313

WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 8, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l liil A118- 6, 1929. o. E. szEKELY ET AL 1,723,313

WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 8, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 6, 1929,.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO E. SZEKELY, OF MOLINE, AND ERIC 0. HOLMGRAIN, OF .ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

WASHING MACHINE.

'Application led November 8, 1926. Serial No. 146,904.

The object of our invention is to provide l novel construction and operation which will alternately squeeze and release the clothes and force the water through the clothes to cleanse lthe same.

And a further object of the invention is to provide a plurality of, pairs of vanes, the vanes Iof each pair being pivoted to swing towards and from each other to produce a squeezing and releasing v action on the clothes, and means of simple character for operating the vanes.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated'a selected embodimentof the invention and referring thereto:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation showing the invention'embodied in one form in a washing machine tub.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of one form of impeller drive means. f

Fig. 3 is -a top plan view of Fig. 1 with the cover parts removed and showing the drive means in broken lines, the vanes being shown in full lines in one position and in' broken lines in another position.

Referring to the drawings 6 represents a pressed steel tub having a cover 7 removably supported on a cover -rim 8. The tub has a central opening 9 in its bottom and a tubular support 10 projects through said opening into the tub and is provided with a base 11 0 which is fastened to the bottom of the tub by any suitable means. Vanes 12-12, 13-13', 14-14, are independently pivoted to the support, at the top and at the bottom thereof and are arranged at spaced intervals about the support and oscillate thereon.y

The bottom pivot for each vane comprises a stud 15 which is seated in the base 11 and' in the lower edge of the vane adjacent the inner edge thereof, lThe top ,pivot comprises a stud 16 seated in the upper! end of the vane and .projecting through and above a head 1 7 'on the support. Driving pinions 18 are rigidly mounted on the upper end of the studs for the vanes 1.2, '.113 and 14, and these pinions mesh with a centrally disposed drive gear 19 which is rigidi' -mounted on the upper end of a drive sha 20, which is mounted in bearings 21 in the tubular support 10. Driven pinions 22 are ri 'dly mounted on the upper ends of the stu s for the vanes 12', 13 and 14 and these pinions mesh with the pinions 18 of the vanes with which they are respectively paired. Thus the pinion 18 for vane 12 meshes with the drive gear V19 and also meshes with and drives the pinion 22 of vane 12 and the pinion 18 for the vane' 13 meshes .with the drive gear 19 and also meshes with and drives the pinion 22 for the vane 13'; and the pinion 18 for the vane 14 meshes with the drive gear 19 and also meshes with and `drives the pinion 22 for the vane 14. The

drive gear on the drive shaft thus directl meshes with the pinions 18l and communicates oscillatin motion tothe vanes 12, 13 and 14, and t e pinions 18 on these vanes mesh with the pinions 22 and communicate a similar oscillating motion, but in a reverse direction to the vanes 12, 13 and 14', so that the vanes 12 and 12, 13 and 13 and 14 and 14 will swing towards and from each other in pairs, and so also will the vanes 12 and 13, 13 and 14, and 14 and 12 swing towards and from each other in pairs. Oscillatino` motion may be imparted to the drive shaii'l 20 byvany suitable means as, for example, by a crank arm 22 rigidly fastened to the lower end of the drive shaft and connected by a link 23 withy a crank arm 24 on a worm and worm wheel reduction from a motion all indicated generally by the broken line 25. To compensate for excessive resist ance which may be encountered by any of the impeller or agitator vanes and to produce a cushioning elfect we provide the crank arm 22 at its outer end with a pin 26, which is arranged to travel in the slotted end 27 "of the rod 23 between two compression springs 28 arranged in the slot, Figi. 2 This is one form of cushioning means to allow for relative movement of the crank arm and connecting rod at the connection therebetween so. that the connecting rod and other drive means may travel in fixed limits, but the ldriven means may travel in limits which vary accordingly to conditions which may exist in the work.

The invention provides a simple and novel means for producing an eiiicient action of the impeller to speedily and thoroughly cleanse the clothes. The impeller is live in the sense that it has movable parts, and in this 'particular invention the movable parts operate to squeeze the clothes and to release the clothes alternately in quick successive operations. The vanes of the impeller operate in pairs and the vanes of each pair swing in arcs in opposite directions so that said vanes act together and also with adjacent vanes to produce the squeezing and releasing action. The action of the vanes produces an agitation of the water and forces the water through the clothes which is most effective for cleansing the clothes.

We are aware that changes in the form construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit or sacricing the advantages of the invention and we reserve the right to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:`

1. A washing machine comprising a tub, an impeller supported within said tub, and comprising a plurality of individual vertical vanes arranged in pairs and radially disposed pivot supports for said vanes, oscillating means connected at their pivots with the vanes of each pair for oscillating the vanes of the pair toward and from one another, and means connected with said oscillating means of each pair of vanes for driving said oscillating means.

2. A washing machine comprising a tub, an impeller supported within the tub and comprising a plurality of radially disposed vanes arranged in pairs, and mounted for oscillation on vertical pivots, said pivots being separate and independentl and spaced from each other, inter-engaging means on said pivots for swinging the vanes of each pair towards and from each other, and means for operating said interengaging means. j

3. A washing machine comprising a tub, an impeller supported within the tub and comprising a plurality of radially disposed vanes arranged lin pairs and mounted on vertical pivots, and means for moving the vanes of each pair towards and away from each other by a directiconnection with oneI vane of each pair.

4. A washingymachineicomprising a tub,

an impeller supported within the tub and' comprising a plurality of radially disposed oscillatorily mounted vanesPv arranged lin pairs, and means for swinging the vanes of each pair towards and from each other the said means comprising a driving gear, means for imparting oscillating movement to said gear, a pinion on one vane of each pair operated by said driving gear, and means operated by said pinions for operating the other vanes.

5. A washing machine comprising a tub, an impeller supported within the tub and comprising a plurality of radially disposed vanes arranged in pairs on independent vertical pivots for oscillation, means for swinging the vanes of each pair alternately in opposite directions towards and from each other comprising a gear, means for imparting oscillating movement to said gear, pinions meshing with said gear for driving one vane of each pair, and other pinions meshing with said rst mentioned pinions for driving the other vane of each pair.

6. A washing machine comprising a tub, an impeller supported within the tub and comprising a plurality of radially disposed vanes arranged in pairs and mounted on vertical pivots, and means for movingthe vanes of each pair towards and away from each other, said means comprising a drive gear, driving and driven pinions mounted on said pivots, the driving pinions meshing with the gear for driving one vane of. each pair, and the driven pinions meshing with said drivin pinions for driving the other vane of eac pair;

7. A washing machine comprising a tub, an impeller supported within the tub and comprising a plurality of radially disposed vanes arranged in pairs mounted on vertical pivots, and means for moving the vanes ofeach pair towards and away from each other, said means comprising a drive gear, driving and driven pinions on said pivots, the driving pinions meshing with the gear for driving one vane of each air, the driven pinions meshing with said riving pinions for driving the other vane of each pair, drive means for imparting an oscillating movement to said gear, and cushioning means included in said drive means.

8. A washing machine comprising a tub, an impeller supported within the tub, and comprising a plurality of vertically disposed vanes independently mounted and arranged in pairs, means for alternately oscillating the vanes of each pair and one vane of each adjacent pair towards and away from each other.

9. A washing machine comprising a tub, an impeller supported within the tub. and comprising a plurality of vertically disposed vanes Aindependently mounted and arranged -`in pairs, means for alternately oscillating the vanes of each pair and one vane of each Iadjacent pair towards and away from each other, the vanes of each pair and the adjacent vanes ofadjacent pairs being disposed to o erate toward and away from each other spaced from and about said driving mechato a ternately squeeze and release the clothes nism, and driving means connectin the 10 therebetween. varies of each pair and connected wit and 10. An impeller for washing machines driven by said central driving mechanism 5 com rising a centrally disposed driving for swinging said vanes on their pivots.

mec anism a pluralit of vanes arranged in pairs and mounte on pivots to swing OTTO E. SZEKELY.v toward and from each 'other and radially ERIC O. HOLMGRAIN. 

